Kids now recognizing John C. Reilly

You look at some people and there’s no question that they should be actors. Imagine running into Brad Pitt as the guy who’s changing the oil in your car or Olivia Wilde taking your order at Olive Garden. Your first thought would be “they should be in pictures.”

Then there are people like John C. Reilly. Don’t get me wrong. Reilly, who’s one of the voice talents in the recently released “Wreck-It Ralph,” is an incredibly talented actor. It’s just that he doesn’t have classic leading man looks. But, that’s what makes him such a memorable actor and the target of adult fans whenever he’s getting his car serviced or dining out.

Reilly tells me that it doesn’t surprise him when adults recognize him from “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” or “Step Brothers.” What shocks him is how kids recognized his voice even before “Wreck-It Ralph” was released. All they had seen were the commercials for the new animated film.

“They hear me talk and they say ‘You’re Wreck-It Ralph!’ They’re quoting lines to me from the trailer and the movies not even out yet,” Reilly says. “I really like that. It can be kind of tiring to deal with adults with all of their different perceptions of who you are.

“One hundred percent of the time, when a kid comes up to me, it’s always a really cool interaction. I love kids.”

Reilly thinks the young fans — and the older ones — will relate to his new movie because it’s about a life-long journey to discover who you are, accepting the kind of person you are and then getting past that to enjoy life. For Reilly that was realizing he wasn’t a classic leading man, being OK with that and then becoming a big acting star.